Automatic brake-setting and signal-operating apparatus for railway-trains.



1,130,028. Patented Mar. 2, 1915 g1 C www.. @9- l tuur T. H. SHRLDN. AUTOMATIC BRAKE SETTING AND SIGNAL OPERATING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY TRAINS.

APPLIUATIDN FILED JAN 27, 19134 Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

2 SHBETSABHEET 2` Inventor .YHSleZdb rb.

15p Wwe mw o n playing' Signer y rangement o UNTED STATES PATENT OFFCE.

THOMAS H. SH'ELDDN, OF VICTOR,

COLOR-ADQ,

ASSIGNOR- DF ONE-HALF TO FELIX HERZ,

TRAN S.

Appncatin mee :mm1 :oy 27, ma.

To all 'wh om it may concern Be it linown that l., Tiioems lil. "iiiLoois, a citizen of the United States, residing at Victor, in Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Brake Setting and Signal-Operating" Apparatus for Reilwayrains; and do declare the following to be e full, clear7 and exact de Seription of the invention7 such as will enable others skilled in the ert to which it apperteins to ineke and use the saine.

This invention relate-e to improvements 'in automatic brake setting and signal operating apparatus for railway trains. One object of the invention to provide `sin apparatus oi this character having means hereby the air automatically released from ,air breite mechanism of :i train and the brein.; bus :automatically applied when the trein reaches al set et danger thereby obvieting any possibility of the train running 'pest the signal in the eront niiet the engineer fails to the saine. u

Another obieet is to provide en automatic brake setting apparatus having means whereby Signaie are or the conditione'o the track indicated in heeab of the locomotive o er 'ser in plein sight and heur-ing of the engineer.

provide en epilee er rf'hieh libe Coin.- peraiiyoiy ennple oonetrnetimn efficient enti re rait-ie in operation -and n' rieb may be arranged lor vermine; the breites: and die Y in traine going in either direetioii on singel With these zu intention coneA` fi other obieete View, the ol certain novel features of eonfitrnetion ni the oon'ibinetion and er i entre es will be more fully cle-- Srribed and 2l-timed is; e diegrennnzitie bien View of e, n r iin'ey track finti n eeinegihore signal i :tire and tndinal vulve of the Sectional view tern of wiring; lig, T2 ie" e lo; lionel View of the nir reieueing apparatus; lli, 3 is; n. eroe of the 'faire t lien on the nire 3MB of Figi 2; Fig. 4 e detail side View of one end. oilE the Contact rnil and the Contact Shoe or member of the apparatus.

Re. irrin riore particularly to the dre-W- the county of Teller and State of Specic-aton o' Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

Serial No. 'i4.515.

ings, denotes the track rails, denotes the iront axle having the usual track engaging Wheels 3, end l denotes the rear axle having track engaging wheels 5. Arranged at a suitable position between the track mils l ere. third or contact rail sections 3y and 7 with which the Contact Shoes; 8 and 9 carried by the locomotive or motor oar are ada ted to be engaged for taking the current rom Said Contact. rails when the latter are energized and to which are Connected current conducting wires leading to the brake con trolling mechanism of the apparatus as will be hereinafter described.

On the right hand eide of the track is arranged a semaphore signal l0 which may be of the usual or any preferred construction und which in this instiinee .is provided with a home or local signal arm 1l and a distant signal arm The base of the seinephore has arranged therein the battery 15 which is connected with one of the track rails l by a current Conducting Wire 16 and to the third rail Seetion 6 by Current Conducting wires l'i' end 18. 'I he Wire 17 forms e Straight connection from. the battery to the third'reil While the Wire 'i8 therein e re sieten'ee Coil 19 through which the current from the battery moet before reaching the third rail C so that the current supplied to the rail througl'i the Coil 19 is considerably weaker than the Current supplied through the straight connection 17 ln the current conducting Wire 17 is er`- ranged e switch or eireuit closer 2O while in the Wire i3 ie arranged a circuit closer 2l. The switelies r eieuit elosere 2O and .21 :ire connected in any eiiiytable manner with the .signal ernia; l and 1Q of the semaphore whereoy when Seid arms moved to positions indicating eeu'rion or danger, seid switches or circuit elosere will be closed thereby eoinpieting circuit between the battery :ind the third or Contact rail, so that when a. trein reaches the signal and the eonteot shoes Carried by the train are en gagged with the energized rail the circ-uit connected with seid shoes will De completed. The eurrentwf this circuit is" employed or actuating the mechanism of the brake applying apparatus carried by the our es will be hereinafter more fully described.

Arranged in the eeh of the locomotive or. motor car ie an electrically operated air releasing valve 22 which is operated by the apparatus when the contact shoes carried by the locomotive come into contact with an energized third rail whereby the air is released irom the train pipe and the air brakes ot' the entire train thus applied. The valve 22 comprises a main casing 23 having therein a main valve 2a for eii'ecting the rclease of the air from the train pipe and a supplemental valve casing 25 having therein a valve 26 adapted to control the admission of compressed air to the main valve 24 whereby the latter is actuated for releasing the air of the train pipe. In the main valve casing is an air inlet port 27 and an air discharge port 28. Formed on the valve casing` and connecting with the air inlet port 2 is a threaded socket 29 adapted to receive the end ot' the pipe which connects the valve casing with the train pipe. r[he valve 2l is prel'erably in the form of a spool valve and in its normal position is adapted to close the discharge port 28 thereby holding the air pressure in the train pipe. The valve 24 is provided with a stem 30 whereby the same be manually set after being operated to release the air.

rthe suppemental valve casing 25 has in its upper portion series of air passages 31 the outer ends of which communicate with the adjacent end of the main valve casing to which the supplemental casing is attached. The inner ends of the passages 31 connect with an annular air discharge passage 32 which is normally closed by the valve In the outer portion oflthe valve casing 25 is formed an air inlet passage 33 which communicates at its inner end with an annular air passage l 3l arranged in and communieatin with the valve casing between the heads of the valve 26 as shown. Connected with the valve casing 25 and communicating with the passage 315 is an air conducting pipe the opposite end of which is connected with the socket 29 whereby the air from the train pipe is admitted to the valve casing J5 between the heads of the valve 25 therein. The valve 2G when in a normal position closes the air discharging passages 31 and and thus prevents the air from entering` the adjacent end oi? the main valve casing. is soonA however, as the supplemental air faire '1li is shifted the passage will be :incoi crc-d thus `)ermitting the air from the train pipe to pass through the supplemental x alie casing and engage the end of the main valve 2l and to shift said valve to an open position wherein the discharge port 28 of thc main valve casing is uncovered and the air pressure in the valve casing 23 and train pipe thus released. The supplemental valve casing` 25 forms the core of a solenoid 36 which when energized draws the supplemental valve' '26 inwardly thereby uncovering the 'discharge passage 34 and permitting the air in the supplemental valve casing to escape through the passages 33 and to engage and o erate the main valve in the manner descri ed. The valve 26 is provided with a suitable stem 37 whereby the same may be manually reset after bein actuated by the solenoid. The valve 2'2 forms the subject matter of the separate application Serial No. 740,2l5 filed January 4, 1913. and reference to this case should be had for a more particular description of the construction and operation of this valve.

The solenoid 36 of the valve 22 has connected thereto the current conducting wires 38 and 39 of an electric circuit arranged in the locomotive or car and which has therein a battery 4() by means of which the solenoid is energized. In the circuit containing the battery/10 are two relays in multiple one of which 4,11 is Wound with very small wire inakinga high resistance, while the other relay 42 is wound with comparatively few coils of coarser wire, and thus has a very lovv resistance. The relaion of the resistances of these two relays must be calculated with reference to the current and voltage of the battery 15 in the base of the semaphore and with reference to the resistance formed by the coil 19 in the current conducting wire 18 which connects said semaphore battery with the third rail of the system. ln the current conducting wire 39 of the valve and battery circuit in the engine are arranged switches or circuit closers 43 and 44 which form respectively the armatures of the relays 41 and l2 and are o eratcd by said relays to close the circuit w en said relays are energized by the current from th'e semaphore battery which passes through the third rail and through the shoe 9 which is connected with the battery circuit through a branch wire 45 as shown.

Arranged in the current conducting wire 38 of the valve and battery circuit of the locomotive is a red light 4G which, when the valve is operated to release the air, is lighted, thus indicating to the engineer' that the signal he has passed was set at danger and that the brakes are being automatically ap` plied. Also connected with the current conducting wire 38 by branch wires '17 and 48 are orange and green lights 4S) and 50 to which aio respectively connected current conducting wires 51 and 52 the terminals of which are adapted to be engaged by the switch or circuit closer L13 of the relay Lll whereby when said switch or circuit closer is actuated by said relay the orange light i9 will cut into the circuit of the battery l0 thereby indicating to the engineer' that the semaphore signal just passed indicated caution. When the relay 41 is denergized or when the arms of the semaphore signal indicate safety the circuit clcscr or switch 43 will be in engagement with thecontact terminal ot' the current conducting wire 52 from the green light 50 therQby cutting said light into the battery circuit of the locnnintive und indisnting to the engineer that the track, is clear and that. the semaphore signal indi Cates safety.

ln the Yifm-in and nrrnngement it the appaf rntns shown in .l and described in the foi-going wherein tile signals :ire repented or displayed in the cih of the locmi'intivn and wherein the distant .Signal :nin 0l: the senfplioiee slinicn uit ii position inf icniing Cain-inn :mil the local signal :iini is in :i pusy p tion indicating safety the, passage nii the. :fun

rent and the nimrzitinn nl ihn apparatus vi'nnlil be ns iollnzv: When the l 'tant signal arm of the Senmplnn'e indicia Caution as silmwn, the Ciiunit Cle-snr or witch :il in the llne nl the: snnmphnin will he closed while the switch Q0 rcnniins npn a@ the. hnnn: or local signil arm Cnntrnling tliif; switch is at :i poni inn indi ting safety. When the Snitch 2l is thin# ri rd the rin-- rent from the, sen'ispla'n-e battery 155 wir rin-:ted with nnfi l en thi; hiid'l mii. tl lint in doing anni; :unfit gli through the conducting; vri Vl .n cinrifi'it ii thirtl ruil l pils ei; thru fh the J through the mirent :mimi d v branch riicnit Wire, 33 :intl it of tit: itzliys 4:1 and ll, themen through the retnrn wir@ 35 through 'thv mi@ l, Wheels track and throng? the 'Wire li' nests Said track ruil W battery lili thereby mur the rtlnyfe. This cisirnnt in n `f current fnnflnifln wir?j tn the# i r mit wires il inni I n mila changer .5C h nfl he liQrmniiftir i, lnnvinlid'nrfl stint-eil tht: iinr: nl in pn Inni the; man3-vn,- plinrie hintern' i5 un tlirnnjqi Cnil lil is iwlinml :ind wlisfn so realm/i, rnrrcnt 'iw nui ati-missili wijirnigji; tu thi` vlnr 'l2 "f dom wt Hymn thv i' than' rf/nr l' l th@l simil, ln uirfni't uinfwr i nhnli is lnfnsfht intn wont, with tine the nfanvh nire Si leading in light inni tins of tinL lnnilmy will if'. signal inni @ww the 'Jirrfnit aimer relu)- fil i112 nnt il i it n ill he sewn t i: this Switch will remain in cant/:ict witl thix terminal nf this orangej light Winey i5 :unl will lfvop the cir*- Onit nl' this light aimed and the light burning nntil the nuxit signal reiirlietl; i at the next Station both of thi; teninphorn arms are in safety position, the circuit of battery l5 will be broken and the third rail 6 thereby iin i enti? nippml "with Hspring dnei'gized, thus permitting the current to flow from one terminal of bntterv 40 through conductor to Shoe 9, thircl rail (i, Stine 8, conductor 57 und relay 58 to the nppnsitn pole of said battery. Ibis current energizes the magnet 5S and causes the sinne tn iittrzict :n'n'nitnre et' relay 4l and so flisaingagrs the Switch from the Contact termi nul. of the mangia light 5l and ni-ings the slum into eno'iigcinent with tho rnntiict ter ininrii nt" the gritan light thereby cutting ont sind timing@ light and putting thn green lifrlit into the circuit intl inilii'fnting Safety, -ha switch i will now remain in ffnntiict with thc tirininnl (if the green light, causing they Sinne tn hnrn until 'i :station it "cachant liniing.; either the. can on or dinger arm of the soniiphnilv in linriznnhil position. il either et these me in posit-ion, third mail *5 will he brought into t' :nit with buttery l5 nner-@zing Saifl rail, 'which will upon Shoe i) contacting therewith, operate* hereinn lirft'nre described. This stronger current ot' buttery ,l5 will m'i'fifcnine the the weaker cnr rent flowing' 'from battery 40 to the4 relay 58 l 'before flufstrilin causing the relenaeinent nl nrnmtnrn "il it ither inni nt' the Semin phnrc is in horizontal pnrsition.

'In cas the home 0r local signal arm 1l nl the semaphore am :set ai; (langer the current from thv sianznplinro battery l5 'nniiltl trawl throngh the switch bil hhich would huw been clust- 1 hy thi,A inni @nicht of the :ii-ni li tn n aliingri poritioiin l1' min the ,switch il th@y Cnrrrist would pilas thrnngh thu wim 1'( ilii-trftly tn tlm third rail l innteini of through the rrisiftunctl mi? l? m that thel full force of thv "irrwnt imm the hiitt'ery l5 is :ipplied to tir 'nii-il :'.il inni hnnclf pnfzsnt; tn the :mrniins in thnlnf;-rfnintive` This. wirf-nt fri'iin this tiiiiil rm n' was tlinungh thi: Slim, anni nnrrn mnnlnting wire 45 to the relay 'tirifnit wirf-4 .'ii einii 5lV ninl having i'nli trfngth the nrs :it isnnli'l enargi i linth of t. i rulzrw il :unl 4L llni relay i. when thm; einl 'l ill :itti'zn ith nrniiitnre. iv why cnnnectn'ig the I:inrenf ruin funn tinA unive; 21 mill anni Alit thin/nigh in lutti/my if@ rml light lil :intl wil' ther-iflijf mwrgixiiig thi-i Qnlwnnid of sind .ab e :intl l tin lutter to ninna und rn uw th@y nir nsw." iii tin' in tim tiisni giving the mii-i mail through lutter hitch will r in the ri 'thzit the niil jini pini i -t at langer and that the brakes are. lining automatically fipplliiil. If diwireil :in electric hell or other alarm (not Shown) muy he placed in the circuit of the riifgl light :incl sounded when a curr-@nt is sent through this circuit. thus providing an audible signal for attracting the attention of the enginee.

Frmn the foregoing it will be seen that the red during the time shoe 9 is in Contact with a ramp rail having therein the proper forni and strength of current, relay l2 will be gized and its armature elevated so as to close the circuit of the danger signal and solenoid valve, operating the same to release` the air and `apply the brakes. In this connection, however, it is to be noted that the ramp rail must be of such length (about 1000 feet more or less) so as to retain the circuit of the solenoid valve in the closed condition until the latter has had sullicient time to ict as hereinbefore stated. As both the relays 41 and 42 are energized when the semaphore signal indicates danger both the red and orange lights in the cab would burn and in order to extinguish the orange light, I preferbly provide a circuit breaker or switch :39 comprising an electromagnet 6U arranged in the red light circuit and adapted to be energilal by the current passing therethrough a d which has its armature forming the Inova e member (3l of the switch, said member being arranged in the orange light circuit 51 whereby when the magnet 60 is energized the armature switch member 61 will be attracted by the magnet and the orange lght circuit thus broken leaving only ight burning as will be readily undcrstood.'

When the form and arrangement of the apparatus described in the foregoing is cmployed on a signal'track system there would be arranged on the opposite side of the track trom the semaphore l0 a similar semaphore, (not shown in the drawings) but which would be connected with the third rail .by a current conducting wire 62y arranged and connected with the operating mechanism in the semaphore in exactly the same manner as shown and described in connection with the semaphore 10. In this arrangement however, the third rail would be separated by electrical insulation or as shown in the drawings would he divided into two sections 6 and 7 and the connection (3:2 would Abe made with the right hand section 7 as shown. In this arrangement it is also necessary that the two sections 6 and 7 of the third rail shall be of opposite polarity and that the relay circuit e provided with the pole changer 56 hereinbefore referred to. In this arrangement the relays 41 and 42 are not polarized but instead a reverse current relay lampes shoe engages a rail section 3 charged with a negative form of' current, but will be unaffected by the rails charged with a positive current, and ice versa, so that iE it is desired that the relays 4l and 42 should be energized only by a positiv: current, then when the contact shoe engages a rail carrying a negative current, the circuits of two relays 41 and 42 will be broken and consequently their armatures will bc unaffected. When the train traveling in the opposite direction from that indicated in the drawings the pole changer is thrown to the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings in u'hicl'x position the relay G3 opens or breaks the relay circuit when the third rail is negative but closes the circuit when the third rail is positive as will be readily understood.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the position of the signal and the condition of the track at the entrance of each block is indicated in the cab of the locomotive or motor car and that the signal in the locomotive or car remains at this position until the train enters a block having a diiferent signal whereupon the change in the signals will be immediately indicated in the locomotive or car.

The contact shoes shown and described .in the various forms of the apparatus may he of any suitable construction one form thereof being illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing as consisting of a block, the lower corners of the ends of which are rounded to facilitate the engagement thereof with the third rail. 'libe shoe is preferably loosel \v connected with the locomotive or motor car by links 10C the lower ends of which are pivotally connected with the shoe while the upper portions thereof have a` sliding engagement with stud bolts or the like 106 secured to a suitable part of the frame or running gear oi' the locomotive. 'Ille third rails shown and described in the various forms of the apparatus may also be of an Y suitable construction and are preferably ormcd from old or worn sections of track rails. The length of the third rails would be gaged by the speed of the train but for the fast running trains, need not be more than two or three lengths of track rails.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim iS:

1. In a brake setting apparatus, the combinationfwith a track signal, of a contact rail controlled by said track signal and energized when the latter is in operative position, a relay circuit carried by the train, a Contact shoe, the latter having an elec trical connection with said relay circuit, a relay included in said circuit. a battery cir cuit carried by the train. an electrically operated valve included therein, a switch arranged in said battery circuit and controlled by said relay whereby to open and close said circuit and coperating means included in said relay circuit to control the latter whereby said relay ma be unaffected by a negative and energize by a positive current or energized by a negative current and unaffected by a positive one.'

2. In a brake setting apparatus, the ccmbination with a track signal, Vof ,a contact rail controlled by said track signal and energized when the latter is in o erative position, a relay circuit carried by the train, a contact shoe, the latter having an electrical connection -with said relay circuit, a battery circuit carried by the train, an electricnlly operated valve included therein, a signal in said battery circuit', a. switch'ineluded in the latter and controlled by said relay whereby to open and close said circuit and coperating means included in said relay circuit to control the latter whereby said relay may be unailected by a negative and energized by a positive current or energized by a negative and unaffected by a positive current.

3. In an electrical brake setting apparatus, the combination with a track signal, of

a contact rail controlled by said track sigual and energized when the latter is in o erative position, a relay circuit carried y the train, a contact shoe, the latter having an electrical connection with said circuit, high and low resistant relays includedin the latter, a battery circuit, an electrically operated valve included therein, a danger signal Arran ed in said circuit, a switch 1ncluded in sai battery circuit, and controlled biy said high resistance relay to open and C 0S e said circuit, branch circuits connected to said battery circuit, caution and safet signals included therein, a switch contro lin said branch circuits und influenced by sai low resistance relay, and coperating means included in the circuit of said rela s and controlling the latter whereby they will be energized by a positive and unaffected by a negative current or energized by a negative and unaffected by a ositive one.

In testimony whereof I ave hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit nessea.

THOMAS H. SHELDON. Witnesses F. M. GLENN, S. C. GATHERIDGE. 

